Friday, August 15, 2014

This is the second poem that I wrote about a nine day Aussie Wanderer tour I took of Western Australia earlier this summer. You can read the first poem (with pictures) entitled "There's Another World Out There" by clicking here. In this poem, each stanza was written about a specific incident on the trip.

For a month this summer I traveled to Australia. For nine days of my trip I took a tour of Western Australia from Perth to Broome. I was one of thirteen members of a tour group and we covered close to 2,000 miles.

During these nine days, I experienced life in a way that I haven't in the previous 30 years. On the last day of the tour, I wrote this poem to recap my experience:

Monday, August 11, 2014

As I prepare to head back into the classroom for the ninth time, one lesson that I hope to teach the students early in the school year is: "It's ok to ask for help." I want my students to be independent thinkers, but I also want them to know that sometimes they will need assistance from others and it's ok to admit that. I plan to use the following story of how one person's kindness and leadership allowed me to have an unforgettable experience.

This past June I had the great privilege of traveling to Australia for a month. Off the coast of picturesque Exmouth, I had the opportunity to swim with the biggest fish in the ocean: whale sharks. I may be a risk taker in the classroom, but the thought of 'swimming with sharks' was far beyond my comprehension. I didn't want to pass up this once in a lifetime experience so I thought I would learn more about what all 'swimming with sharks' entailed...

The day before I had the opportunity to swim, I snorkeled for the first time with the rest of my tour group. At least you can say, I attempted to snorkel. I told the crew that I was not comfortable jumping in and that I needed some practice first. I was told you 'learn by experience, just jump in and you'll be fine.' So, reluctantly, I did and let's just say, it was not a success. I panicked as the other group members swam with the guide. I quickly fell behind and definitely wasn't able to see the beautiful reef that was just below the surface. Honestly, I was scared at what could be below the surface along the reef: Sharks, snakes manta rays, etc. Toward the end, I cut my hand on the shallow reef which made me panic even more as I knew there were sharks in the water as my hand continued to bleed. I was scared and just wanted the session to end...

As we arrived at the dive shop the next day to go on the whale shark swim, I had to sign paperwork stating that I was an 'experienced snorkeler.' I obviously knew my limitations and approached one of the staff members to explain that I wanted to go on the boat to see as much as I could, but I was far from an 'experienced snorkeler.' Jess, the staff member who patiently listened to my story about the day before, explained that she would personally make sure that I had not only a memorable experience, but an enjoyable one. I trusted her, signed the paperwork and my whale shark journey officially began.

There were twenty tourists on the boat and five crew members. The tourists ranged in age from kids in their teens to a lady in her mid-seventies. I realized that I should be able to overcome my fear and not receive special treatment, but I also knew that I needed help.

And I wasn't afraid to ask for it.

I told Jess I needed help snorkeling, so she arranged for a private snorkel session in the morning while the rest of the group snorkeled together. Jared, the crew member who snorkeled with me, was just as calm and kind as Jess. In just a few minutes, I gained some confidence and began to muster up enough courage to swim with the whale sharks later in the day, of course with Jess's help.

As we prepared for the first whale shark swim, Jess checked in with me and again, I asked for help. I told her that although I could snorkel by myself, I didn't know if I would be able to do so with a huge creature in the water with me.

I remember her not skipping a beat as she explained exactly what the plan was. She said that we would both jump in together, arm and arm as nine other tourists would follow behind us. She said she would find the whale shark, alert us to the exact moment to stick our mask in the water and that she would swim with me as long as I was able to keep my mask in the water...

So, again I trusted her. The first whale shark approached our boat, arm and arm we jumped in together, I stuck my mask in when instructed to do so, and then she swam as I watched the beautiful creature as it glided along effortlessly in the Indian Ocean.

Whale Shark #1
Picture credit: Exmouth Dive Center

At that moment, I remember feeling awestruck. I wasn't scared at all. I wanted the moment to last as long as possible and I focused on breathing. About halfway through, I realized that I really wasn't swimming at all and that Jess was dragging me along. So I began to swim so she didn't have to do all the work. A few minutes after jumping in, the swim was over and we let the whale shark continue on.

Jess is on the left and I am on the right. You can barely see the whale shark in the background but as you can imagine this is one of my favorite pictures from the swim.
Picture Credit: Exmouth Dive Center

The second whale shark swim was almost a repeat of the first, except for at the end, Jess let go and let me swim by myself. I think she did it almost symbolically so I could say I was able to swim without assistance.

Whale Shark #2
Picture Credit: Exmouth Dive Center

Back on the boat, we saw two humpback whales, numerous dolphins and a dugong. Later in the day we snorkeled again and I actually could enjoy the reef and the beautiful fish and creatures that call it home. I know that none of it would have been possible without Jess. I know that if I let my first bad experience hold me back, I wouldn't have had the experience of a lifetime.

Jess and I after a long successful day!

I hope I am my students' "Jess" this school year. I want to be the person who reassures them and who will jump in the deep end with them arm and arm. I want to be the person that will hold on as long as necessary and then let go when they gain the confidence they need.

And, I want my students to know it's ok to ask for help. I could have felt embarrassed or ashamed that I received special treatment from the crew. I could have felt like there was something wrong with me because I was scared. But, luckily I didn't, and luckily for me, someone took my request seriously enough to care that I had both a memorable and enjoyable experience.

To those of you who are preparing for the beginning of the school year, I hope you have both a memorable and enjoyable school year. Remember to encourage your students to ask for help when necessary and continue to be the all important leader in the classroom who will do anything to let his/her students feel a sense of success!

Success!

If you're interested in how the whole operation worked, here are the basics: Whale sharks are solitary creatures so they swim by themselves. Exmouth Dive Center has their own planes in the sky that spot the whale sharks and direct boats to the exact spot in the ocean. One of the crew members finds the whale shark once the boat is in place and instructs the first spotter to go in the ocean. The first spotter finds the shark beneath the water and then motions in the direction that the shark is swimming. The second spotter then jumps in with the group of ten tourists. Once the shark comes in view all the tourists and spotters swim alongside it. Here is a short video I recorded from the boat of a group jumping in:

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Before August 5, 2012, all I knew about Kirk Urso was that he was a rookie Columbus Crew midfielder. I remember watching him play in a few games at Crew Stadium and I thought he had good control of the midfield.

On August 5, 2012, Kirk suddenly passed away from an undetected congenital heart defect. He was 22. Through my sister, who works for the Crew, I have been fortunate to become friends with Kirk's family. Over the last two years, I have learned about the person Kirk was: the player, friend, brother and son. I learned about his kind nature, his comical personality and his leadership on and off the soccer field. Here are just a few examples of these traits:

There are many things that are out of our control. When our life or our loved one's lives come to an end is the most heart-wrenching example. Control is especially lost when tragedy strikes. However, what we do have control over is our attitude, our character and how we respond to difficult situations. As Kirk said:

Besides Kirk's family, another person I became friends with because of this tragedy is Steve Sirk. Steve is an amazing writer who has a lot in common with Kirk. He's witty, well-liked and compassionate. Over the past two years, Steve has selflessly dedicated countless hours to writing a book in Kirk's memory. Here's a quick summary of the book:

Forever Massive, is a collection of stories and insights from the players, coaches, and staff of the 2012 Columbus Crew, who knew Kirk as a leader, listener, friend, straight-faced humorist, and a constant source of positive inspiration. These stories, presented in the players’ own words, reveal Urso as the Crew knew him. (Hint: Most of the interviews featured smiles and laughter.) The book also looks at Kirk’s legacy and impact going forward, including how congenital heart defect research– like the kind supported by the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund– has changed the life of one Ohio family. You will meet the little “heart kid” with whom Kirk formed a poignantly serendipitous friendship.

Kirk and "heart kid" Ryan Moore on May 1, 2012 at the Connor Senn Memorial Game in Columbus, Ohio.

A year ago I began to use the mobile application, Aurasma, in my 5th grade classroom as a way to engage students and keep parents up to date on current topics. (I actually wrote this post last August about how I planned to use Aursama for the start of the 2013 school year.) In a nutshell, when a smart device is held over top of a predetermined picture, the app will trigger a video to begin playing. The picture actually morphs into a video right before your eyes. Children and adults are always amazed when they use Augmented Reality.

Knowing that Aurasma could provide a unique, interactive element to Steve's book, I pitched the idea to him with his immediate approval. Therefore, for several months as I worked on the book, I watched videos of Kirk -- videos of him playing soccer, tribute videos after he passed away, and even videos that he recorded on his cell phone. It's odd to say that someone I've never met has had a great impact on my life, especially after his death, but it's the truth in my case. Many Crew fans, like me, never got the chance to meet Kirk, get to know him, or learn from him. However, I'm glad that I learned the lessons I did as I helped with this book. Both Steve's and my hope is that the readers will learn more about Kirk and allow his story to impact their lives in the way it did ours.

The book titled, Forever Massive, is now available for purchase. ALL the proceeds will go to the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund which provides funding focused on congenital heart research and sudden cardiac death in youth. In addition to being beautifully written with custom illustrations, there are over twenty pictures that are augmented (or linked) to over forty minutes of video footage that will give the reader a unique look into the life of this beloved young man. If you're a soccer fan, someone intrigued by augmented reality, or someone looking to hear a story of life, loss and love, please consider purchasing the book.

If you would like to test out an example of the Augmented Reality component of the book, follow the directions below: (It should take less than three minutes)1.) Download 'Aurasma' from your smart device's App Store and click through any tutorials. 2.) Click the magnifying glass at the bottom.3.) Search "Forever Massive," click the first option (The "I Am Strong" image) and then click 'follow' in the upper righthand corner. 4.) Next, click the broken square at the bottom. Hold your device over the image below (as if you were going to take a picture) and immediately the picture should trigger a video. **If you double tap the screen, you will be able to move your device away from the image.

Photo credit: Sam Fahmi Video credit: Major League Soccer

This project was a labor of love for me, but I have so many people to thank. To soccer fans and tech gurus, Drew Minock and Brad Waid: Thank you for helping me learn how to use Aurasma last summer and helping me see the possibilities Augmented Reality held both inside and outside my classroom. Thank you to Steve Sirk for dedicating so much time to this wonderful project and to my sister, Arica, for her unwavering strength and support. To the Urso family: Thank you for sharing your memories of Kirk with those of us who never met him. And finally, thank you to Kirk for the life you led and the legacy you left behind.

Although there is enough in life that we don't have control over, we DO have control over how we spend each day.

And when life spins out of control, remember Kirk's words:

I AM STRONG. I WILL OVERCOME

If you purchase the book and have trouble accessing the videos through Aurasma, please feel free to contact me on Twitter (@ArinKress), leave a comment below or email me at kressa123@gmail.com and I will gladly assist you with any difficulties.

About Me

I'm a 5th grade math and science teacher in Ohio who is constantly learning. My goal is to bring as many experiences to my students as possible. I enjoy connecting with others from all around the world to learn from each other! I hate chalk but love educational technology :) Feel free to contact me on Twitter (@ArinKress)